The Metropolitan Opera premiered a new production of "Lincoln in the Bardo," an opera adaptation of George Saunders’s novel, marking a notable event both artistically and institutionally. Composed by Missy Mazzoli with a libretto by Royce Vavrek, the work explores the liminal realm between life and death, known as the bardo, through the lens of Abraham Lincoln’s grief over the death of his young son, Willie, set during the American Civil War.

Originally planned for debut at the Los Angeles Opera, the premiere shifted to New York last week, making it the first opera by a female composer to have its world premiere at the Met. This milestone arrived somewhat unexpectedly for Mazzoli, who made her company debut with this production. The collaboration between Mazzoli and Vavrek is widely regarded as among contemporary opera’s most imaginative, known for blending theatricality with a dark, surrealist Americana that combines humor, horror, and poignant human themes.

The narrative closely follows Saunders’s novel, which features Willie Lincoln arriving in the bardo, a ghostly realm where souls linger before moving on. Surrounded by a host of spirits — many rooted in American history and legend — Willie and the other characters navigate the unsettled space between life and afterlife. The opera streamlines the novel’s extensive cast and historical digressions but preserves its emotional core and tonal complexity, incorporating moments of both crass humor and profound humanity.

Mazzoli’s score employs a rich palette of effects that evoke the ethereal atmosphere of the bardo, including unconventional uses of orchestral instruments such as kazoos and vocal expressions that mimic hiccups and laughter. The musical language is fluid and shifting, underscored by a recurring violin motif that symbolizes the impermanence of the realm. Under the baton of conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the orchestra punctuates moments of horror and whimsy with cinematic flair.

The production features an ensemble cast led by baritone Peter Mattei as Abraham Lincoln, whose lyrical music highlights the president’s grief and resolve. The role of Willie was performed by Everett Sobers, whose youthful innocence contrasts with the complexity of the spirits guiding him—bass-baritone Ryan McKinny as Vollman, tenor Jonah Hoskins as Bevins, and soprano Christine Goerke as the Reverend. The opera also presents a poignant subplot within the anonymous Black section of the cemetery, where Janiai Brugger’s Francis Hodge and Joshua Blue’s Thomas Havens symbolize the historical forces shaping Lincoln’s presidency.

Visually, the production by director Lileana Blain-Cruz creates a haunted, otherworldly cemetery through a towering set of skeletal trees designed by Adam Rigg, illuminated in eerie hues of green, purple, and yellow. The staging incorporates puppetry and stylized movement, enhancing the ethereal and unsettling mood. The climax, depicting the collective departure of spirits in a spectacle of colorful lights and smoke effects, culminates in a striking image of Lincoln on horseback, embodying his forthcoming historical transformation.

Overall, the new "Lincoln in the Bardo" offers a compelling addition to the operatic canon, blending historical narrative with inventive theatricality and music, while marking a significant moment for the Metropolitan Opera’s ongoing efforts to expand the diversity of its new works.